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[PF] The Monk 2.0 WIP

Ladies and gentlemen, The Boz proudly presents...

The Monk 2.0

A hopefully functional and completely viable Monk. Originally made for Pathfinder, but it can be easily modified to fit any 3rd edition ruleset. My main goal here was making the monk an actually viable and versatile character with many tactical options. You will notice that he lost several of his signature abilities, but he gained a number of bonus feats through which he can customize his playing style. He is now a full BAB martial damage dealer, he gained several options to lessen his MAD problems, and I folded several Pathfinder Monk archetypes into optional feats, giving the player the ability to adapt to several situations and be a contributing member of the party on more occasions. The Erudition Feats make this monk a fairly flexible class, and they make it easy to find no two monks alike in a gathering of one hundred.
So, let's dive in, shall we?

Hit die: d8.

Alignment: Any Lawful.

Starting Wealth: 1d6 x 10 gp (average 35gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Armor & Shield Proficiencies: None. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.

Abilities Explained: An explanation of the above mentioned features and abilities. If a particular item does not appear below, it functions exactly as it does right now in Pathfinder.Flurry of Blows: Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows whenever he performs an attack, executes a combat maneuver or uses Focused Fist or any similar ki or special standard action attack during his turn. For each attack in a full-attack action, or for each special attack or maneuver, he gains one attack with the same weapon and executed using the same BAB as the attack that allowed it. Functionally, this is similar to two-weapon fighting, but flurry of blows attacks use the monk's full Strength bonus, and further dual wielding penalties do not apply. While using flurry of blows, a -2 penalty applies to all attacks or maneuver rolls done in that round. Only unarmed strikes and special monk weapons can be used to trigger or attack through flurry of blows.Ki pool: At 1st level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to 2x his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation. A monk can spend a maximum number of ki points equal to his Wisdom modifier in a single round, or he can use just one unmodified ki power whose ki cost exceeds this value. The monk gains additional powers as he gains monk levels or obtains specific feats. Unless otherwise noted, activating each ki power is a swift action, and can only be done once per round. Ki Step - The Monk can spend 1 ki point to perform a 5ft step instantly as a swift action. This ability can be used as an immediate action, but only when a creature within 10 feet of the monk moves or performs a 5-foot step.Ki Save - A +4 bonus to any save for 1 round can be attained as a swift action by spending 1 ki point. This ability can be used as an immediate action, but is half as effective. Ki Defense - A +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round can be obtained as a swift action by spending 1 ki point. This ability can be used as an immediate action, but is half as effective.Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains proficiency with unarmed strikes, as well as Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk's attacks may be with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes. A monk's unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. Additionally, the monk's damage with unarmed strikes increases to 1d6 at level 1, and continues to increase regularly at levels 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 as shown in the table above.Insightful Defense: While unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus to his AC and CMD. This bonus applies against touch attacks and works while flat-footed, but is lost when the monk is immobilized, helpless, wearing armor or carries any load other than light.

Focused Fist: Starting at level 2, a monk can declare to use Focused Fist as a standard action, as an attack of opportunity, or as part of a charge. This unarmed attack deals normal damage and forces the target to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Wisdom modifier) or suffer ill consequences. Unless otherwise noted, Focused Fist costs 1 ki point. Only one of the listed effects can be applied with a single Focused Fist, but the target can suffer from multiple effects at the same time.
At level 2, the attack can cause the Stunned condition for 1 round.
At level 5, the target can be Fatigued instead, but this can not be repeated to make the target Exhausted.
At level 8, the target suffers from the Sickened condition for 1 minute.
At level 11, the target can be Staggered for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier.
At level 14, the target can be outright killed, but this attack can only be attempted once per day and costs 3 additional ki points.
At level 17, the target can be permanently rendered mute, blind, or deaf at a cost of 2 additional ki points.
At level 20, the target can be paralyzed for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier at a cost of 1 additional ki point.Evasion: At 2nd level and higher, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Movement: At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his land speed. This starts as +10 feet, and increases by 10 feet every 3 levels, up to a maximum +60 at level 18. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. Additionally, he gains the following ki power:Ki Rush - By spending 1 ki point, the monk can increase his movement speed by 20 feet for 1 round. Stillness: A monk of 3rd level or higher can choose between Still Mind and Still Body to gain a +2 bonus on either the Will or the Fortitude saving throw. Once done, this choice can not be reversed.Quickness: From level 3 onwards, the monk can add his positive Wisdom modifier to all initiative checks.

Slow Fall: At 4th level or higher, a monk within arm's reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. When first gaining this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The monk's ability to slow his fall is equal to 1/2 his level times 10 feet, until at 20th level he can use a nearby wall to slow his descent and fall any distance without harm. Unless a fall renders the monk unconcious or brings him to 0 hit points or lower, a monk will always land on his feet.Disciplined Defense: While unarmored and unencumbered, the monk gains a +1 bonus to his AC and CMD. This bonus increases to +2 at level 8, +3 at level 12, +4 at level 16 and finally +5 at level 20. This bonus applies against touch attacks and works while flat-footed, but is lost when the monk is immobilized, helpless, wearing armor or carries any load other than light. Additionally, the monk gains the following ki power:Ki Assault - By using 1 ki point, the monk can add his Disciplined Defense bonus as magical weapon enchantment for all attacks he performs in that round. When fighting with enchanted weapons, the values do not stack; the greater is taken into account and the lesser is ignored.

Abundant Jump: At 5th level, a monk adds his level to all Acrobatics checks made to jump, both for vertical and horizontal jumps. In addition, he always counts as having a running start when making jump checks.
By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk gains a +20 bonus on his next jump check.Purity of Body: At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all natural poisons and diseases.Ki Strike: As long as the monk has at least 1 ki point available, he can turn his attacks into ki strikes in order to overcome damage reduction or bypass hardness. At level 5, ki strikes are magical. At level 10, they count as silver and lawful. At level 15, they are adamantine. At level 20, ki strikes gain the Axiomatic property and deal an extra 2d6 points of damage against chaotic creatures. Additionally, the monk gains the following ki power:Ki Attack - The monk can spend 1 ki point to make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus whenever he performs a full-attack action. This attack acts like a flurry of blows; it has a -2 attack penalty and can not generate a flurry of blows follow-up.
Additionally, as long as the monk has at least 1 ki point available, he can count himself as larger than he actually is for the purposes of checking if he can perform a combat maneuver on a given target, but not if a combat maneuver can be performed on him as well. This does not grant the monk a size modifier, and opponents that are larger still regain their full size modifier bonus. At level 5, a medium monk can count as large. At level 10, he can instead count as huge. At level 15, he can count as gargantuan. At level 20, the monk can count himself as colossal whenever he is checking if a particular combat maneuver is valid against a specific target.

Tongue of the Sun: Gained at level 7, allows verbal communication with all humanoids capable of such. This has no effect if the monk himself is incapable of communication.

Purity of Soul: At 9th level, the monk becomes immune to all disease and corruption, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Purity of Self: At 11th level, a monk gains immunity to poisons of all kinds.Tongue of the Moon: At level 11, the monk can communicate with all living sentient creatures. This has no effect if the monk himself is incapable of communication.

Tongue of the World: From level 13 onward, a monk can communicate with all sentient beings. This has no effect if the monk himself is incapable of communication.

Timeless Body: A monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.

Everlasting Body: A monk becomes effectively immortal, capable of living forever if he doesn't fall in combat.

Perfect Body: The monk's body has achieved perfection, and for every ability score with a natural value of 18 or more, he gains 2 ability points to distribute as he sees fit.

Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk becomes a magical creature. He can choose to count either as an outsider and his race, only an outsider or only his race whenever prompted for the purpose of spells and magical effects. This choice is available regardless of any effects might limit the monk's perception, action or sanity, and is even available while the monk is dead. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/chaotic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonchaotic weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn't have similar damage reduction.

New Feats Explained: An explanation of some of the feats listed in the table above. If a particular feat does not appear below, it functions exactly as it does right now.Scorpion Attack: This 1 ki point power allows the monk to perform a Focused Fist attack that, if successful and the target fails his Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 attacker's level + attacker's Wisdom modifier), will reduce the target's speed to 5 feet for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. Scorpion Strike can be performed unarmed or while armed with any monk weapon. For feats and abilities that modify the Focused Fist ability, this counts as a Focused Fist attack.Perfect Attack: This 1 ki point power allows the monk to make one of his attacks in the round a perfect attack by rolling two d20s and choosing the best result. If the die chosen indicates a critical threat, the other die result is used as the confirmation roll. This attack can be performed with any monk weapon and with any bow.Flurry of Projectiles: Your attacks with any ranged monk weapon or bow can trigger additional attacks as per Flurry of Blows.Elemental Fist: When you select Elemental Fist as a feat pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, your attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 + Wisdom modifier points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll, and a failed attack roll ruins the attempt. This ability costs 1 ki point. Only one attack in a round can be an Elemental Fist, but the ability can be used with any sort of attack that deals lethal damage through unarmed strike or a special monk weapon.Guided Hand: You can replace your Strength modifier with your Wisdom modifier for the purposes of determining your attack bonus. Works only when unarmed or using monk melee weapons.Zen Archery: A monk with this feat may use his Wisdom modifier instead of his Dexterity modifier on ranged attack rolls.Extra Ki: Your ki pool capacity increases by 5 points. This feat may be taken multiple times.

Maneuver Training: A monk with this feat can never have his combat maneuvers turned against him, and he always gets to turn a combat maneuver upon his attacker if he successfully defends against them. If two monks with this are locked in combat, the never rule takes precedence.Fuse Style: The monk can have any two styles active at the same time.Improved Ki Defense: When using the Ki Defense power, the duration can be increased to be equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. Doing so costs 1 additional ki point.Improved Ki Save: When using the Ki Save power, the duration can be increased to be equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. Doing so costs 1 additional ki point.Flurry of Opportunity: A monk with this feat gain additional attacks as per Flurry of Blows while executing attacks of opportunity.Strong Fist: A monk with this feat can use his Strength instead of Wisdom to determine the DCs for all Focused Fist effects.

Gorgon Attack: This 1 ki point power allows the monk to make a staggering blow as a standard action with any monk weapon or while unarmed. The attack can only be performed on foes that have been slowed or immobilized. The target must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 attacker's level + attacker's Wisdom modifier) or become slowed as per the slow spell for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. For feats and abilities that modify the Focused Fist ability, this counts as a Focused Fist attack. Requires Scorpion Attack.Slow Freefall: You can use your Slow Fall ability without a nearby surface prerequisite. This becomes a supernatural ability.Ki Shot: A 1 point ki power that can increase the range increment of any bow or thrown monk weapon by 50 feet for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier.Focused Weapon: You can deliver Focused Fist effects with any type of ranged weapon. You must select the weapon type when you take this feat; you may take this feat several times and select a different weapon type each time. Ki Weapon: As a 1 point ki power, you can replace your weapon's damage dice with your unarmed damage dice for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. Bloody Finesse: While fighting with a ranged weapon or a weapon that can benefit from Weapon Finesse, you can replace your Strength modifier with your Dexterity modifier when determining damage done. Requires Weapon Finesse.Guided Pain: When fighting with a weapon that can benefit from either Guided Hand or Zen Archery, you can replace your Strength modifier with your Wisdom modifier when determining damage done. Requires either Guided Hand or Zen Archery.Elemental Weapon: You can deliver Elemental Fist effects with any type of ranged weapon. You must select the weapon type when you take this feat; you may take this feat several times and select a different weapon type each time. Pain Points: A monk with this feat permanently gains a +1 bonus to attack, damage, critical hit confirmation rolls and DCs of all Focused Fist attacks against living creatures. Ki Thief: Whenever a monk reduces a living, sentient creature to 0 or fewer hit points, he regains 1 ki point. Requires non-good alignment.Calm Meditation: This feat allows the monk to enter a meditative state as a full-round action. Doing so lets the monk regenerate two ki points spent earlier. The monk can only use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier. This ability provokes attacks of opportunity.Improved Ki Rush: When using the Ki Rush power, the duration can be increased to be equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. Doing so costs 1 additional ki point.

Ki Tempest: As a 1 point ki power, this allows the monk to divide all of his melee attacks during a full attack among multiple targets. Each target can be attacked once, or twice when using Flurry of Blows, but the monk benefits from his full BAB against all targets. A monk can also make his 5ft step between any two attacks without breaking the chain.Elemental Ki: With this feat, the monk's Elemental Fist damage dice change to his unarmed strike damage dice. Requires Elemental Fist.Ki Pounce: With this 2 point ki power, a monk can perform a full-attack as a standard action or as part of a charge.Wholeness of Body: A monk with this feat can heal his own wounds as a standard action. He can heal a number of hit points equal to his monk level + Wisdom modifier at a cost of 2 ki points.Life Thief: Whenever a monk gains ki from his Ki Thief ability, he also heals a number of hit points equal to half his monk level. Requires Ki Thief.Hale Meditation: When using Calm Meditation, the monk also heals for a number of hit points equal to his monk level. Requires Calm Meditation.Perfect Chain: When using Flurry of Blows as a full-attack action in combat, if the monk successfully hits the same target with every attack, he immediately regains 1 ki point plus 1 for every two attacks that connected. Improved Ki Assault: When using the Ki Assault power, the duration can be increased to be equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. Doing so costs 1 additional ki point.

Medusa Attack: With this 1 ki point power, all your attacks and maneuvers against dazed, flat-footed, paralyzed, staggered, stunned, or unconscious targets automatically become critical threats while natural critical threats are automatically confirmed. Requires Gorgon Attack.Shadow Body: With this 3 ki point power, a monk can turn invisible for 10 rounds, as per the spell invisibility. This is a standard action.Wholeness and Swiftness: The monk becomes capable of using his Wholeness of Body ability to heal himself as a swift action. Requires Wholeness of Body.Healing Hand: The monk can use his Wholeness of Body ability to heal a living creature touched instead of himself as a standard action. Requires Wholeness of Body.Restoring the Body: While using Wholeness of Body, the monk can remove a condition as well as perform healing. For 1 additional ki point, the following conditions can be removed: Bleed, Confused, Dazed, Dazzled, Fascinated, Fatigued, Shaken, Sickened. For 2 additional ki points, the following conditions can be removed: Blinded, Cowering, Deafened, Exhausted, Frightened, Nauseated, Staggered. For 3 additional ki points, the following conditions can be removed: Energy Drained, Panicked, Paralyzed, Petrified, Stunned, Unconscious. Requires Wholeness of Body.Mental Perfection: If the monk has a mental ability (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) at a natural value of 18 or more when taking this feat, he immediately gains 2 ability points that he can assign to any other mental ability that is below 18.Physical Perfection: If the monk has a physical ability (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) at a natural value of 18 or more when taking this feat, he immediately gains 2 ability points that he can assign to any other physical ability that is below 18.Greater Style: The monk can have up to three styles active at the same time, and can enter all three styles as a single swift action. Requires Fuse Style.Abundant Leap: A clearly supernatural act, the monk can perform a 300 foot jump in any direction at the cost of 1 ki point as a move action. While using this power, you are immune to the falling damage of up to 300 feet.Thief Strike: This ability allows a monk to attack a target as a standard action and trigger his Ki Thief ability if he hits. The attack costs 1 ki point, but this is refunded if the attack connects. This counts as a Focused Fist attack. Requires Ki Thief.Elemental Explosion: With this feat, your Elemental Fist attacks result in powerful explosions, if you so choose. These explosions are treated 15' cones, and the elemental damage from Elemental Fist affects all targets within. Secondary targets inside the area of effect may attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 attacker's level + attacker's Wisdom modifier) to take half damage instead. The attack does not need to hit in order to generate the explosion, but the original target can only make this saving throw if the elemental fist attack missed. Requires Elemental Fist.

Improved Wholeness: By increasing the cost of Wholeness of Body by 1 ki point, the monk can heal a number of hit points equal to twice his monk level + his Wisdom modifier instead. Requires Wholeness of Body.Essence Thief: Whenever a monk with this ability hits a living, sentient creature with an attack, he heals 1 hit point. If his HP is already at maximum, he instead gains 1 temporary hit point that lasts for one hour. Temporary hit points gained this way can not exceed the monk's level + his Wisdom modifier. The monk can benefit from this ability only when dealing lethal damage. Requires Ki Thief.Patient Fist: A monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that can thereafter be used to trigger any Focused Fist effect. The effect is chosen and the Fortitude save made at the moment of attack, but the effect can be triggered by the monk at will within a number of days equal to his level. Only one patient activation can be in effect at any given time, and applying another cancels the old one. While an effect is patiently waiting to be activated, the monk is free to use his Focused Fist on this or other targets. Divine spells such as Greater Restoration can be used to remove this effect. The monk is aware if the target has made his save or not, or if the effect is removed.Defensive Meditation: While using Calm Meditation in combat, the monk gains immunity to attacks of opportunity, sneak attack damage, critical hits and he can not be flanked. Requires Calm Meditation.

Cockatrice Attack: This 1 ki point power allows the monk to petrify flesh as a standard action attack with any monk weapon or while unarmed. The attack can only be performed on foes that are paralyzed, staggered, stunned, or unconscious. If the attack results in a critical hit, the target can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 attacker's level + attacker's Wisdom modifier) in order to ignore the effects. This supernatural polymorph effect is permanent, but the monk can touch the stone and expend an additional ki point in order to end it. On a successful save, or if the attack failed to generate a critical hit, the target is slowed and immobilized for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier. For feats and abilities that modify the Focused Fist ability, this counts as a Focused Fist attack. Requires Medusa Attack.Glass Body: With this feat, a monk can become invisible as per the spell greater invisibility for 10 rounds. This costs 3 ki points. This is a standard action. Requires Shadow Body.Ki Sacrifice: With this ability, a monk can perform an hour long ritual that is capable of bringing a person back from the dead as if using the spell raise dead. This ability drains the monk of all ki, and costs a minimum of 6 ki points, but otherwise has no material components. The monk requires full 24 hours of rest before his ki pool replenishes after using this ability. Requires Healing Hand.Sure Fist: If a combat maneuver attempt, Focused Fist or Elemental Fist attack misses or is resisted while using Flurry of Blows, you can immediately attempt it again with the additional attack granted by Flurry of Blows at no additional cost.Abundant Step: A monk with this ki power can slip magically between spaces, as if using the spell dimension door. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from his ki pool. The range of the ability is fixed at 600 feet. The monk does not take damage when materializing within an object; he is simply moved to the nearest available space. He cannot take other creatures with him when he uses this ability, and he can only carry a light load with him, no larger in volume than he is. After using the ability, he is free to act normally.Ki Penetration: For 2 ki points, a monk with this ki power can ignore any protective spells on the target if their combined level is lower than the monk's level. This effect lasts for 1 round.Diamond Soul: The monk gains spell resistance equal to his current monk level + 10. In order to affect the monk with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the monk's spell resistance. The monk can willingly suppress or reactivate his spell resistance as a standard action.

Protective Meditation: Whenever the monk fails a saving throw against a death effect, charm, domination, illusion or similar spell, he can enter a meditative stance and be treated as if he passed the saving throw. The meditative stance lasts a number of rounds equal to the spell's level - the monk's Wisdom modifier, down to a minimum of 1 round, and the monk can perform no actions while meditating, but no penalties to his defensive capabilities apply. Exiting the meditative stance early will immediately cause the spell resisted to come into full effect. If he still has uses of Calm Meditation for the day, he can count as using one when this ability is triggered. Requires Calm Meditation.Resistant Ki: As a swift action, the monk can spend 2 ki points and increase his innate spell resistance by 5 for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier. Requires Diamond Soul.Reforming Diamond: The monk becomes capable of suppressing and reactivating his Diamond Soul ability as an immediate action. Requires Diamond Soul.Leaf on the Wind: This ki power, which can be maintained for 2 ki points per round, enables the monk o fly at half his base movement speed and average maneuverability. The monk does not need to concentrate to maintain the effect, but he must remain conscious. Using or maintaining this power is a swift action. Additionally, when the monk gains this feat, he also gains Fly as a class skill. Requires Slow Freefall and Abundant Leap.

Spectral Body: With this ki power, the monk can become ethereal for one minute as per the spell ethereal jaunt at the cost of 3 ki points. This is a standard action. Requires Shadow Body.Young Body: With this feat, a monk can successfully revert all the negative effects of aging. He can also reverse the effects on his outward appearance, to a small extent. Greater Sacrifice: The monk's Ki Sacrifice ability can be used to replicate the effects of resurrection instead. The minimum ki cost of the ability increases to 8 points. Requires Ki Sacrifice.Incredible Style: The monk becomes capable of maintaining up to four styles at the same time. He can enter all four at the cost of one swift action, he can spend 1 ki point to enter all four stances as a free action or 2 ki points to enter all four stances as an immediate action. Requires Greater Style.

Foresight: His devotion to the laws of the universe have given the monk a deeper understanding of the underlying fabric of nature. He gains a +2 insight bonus to attack, damage, CMB, CMD, AC, all saves and spell resistance. As a move action, the monk can grant these bonuses to any allies within 30 feet for a number of rounds equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier at the cost of 2 ki point per ally.Spell Mirror: Whenever a spell fails to affect the monk due to his spell resistance, he can immediately turn it back upon the caster. He must spend a number of ki points equal to half the spell level, minimum 1. This ability works against all types of spells and spell-like abilities that target the monk specifically. Spells with an area effect can also be turned as long as the monk is the primary target; doing so will suspend the spell detonation and cause the area effect to resolve at the caster's location. Requires Resistant Ki.Quicksilver Body: By spending 4 ki points + the number of ki points associated to the ki power used, the monk can use Wholeness of Body, Shadow Body, Abundant Step and other similar powers as an immediate action at any time.Elemental Projection: A monk with this power can spend a full-round action in order to unleash a powerful blast of ki. The blast manifests as either a 30 foot radius explosion centered on the monk, a 20 foot radius explosion anywhere within 300 feet, a 5 foot wide, 150 feet long line, or a 45 degree cone with a range of 60 feet. The monk's Elemental Fist chosen element is used to determine the type of this attack. This ability costs a minimum of 3 ki points and deals 1d8 damage per two monk levels. Targets can make a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 monk's level + monk's Wisdom modifier) to take half damage. By spending more ki, the blast can either deal 3d8 additional damage per additional ki point (maximum 12d8 extra damage), or have the DC increased by 2 per additional ki point. The monk is immune to the damage of his own Elemental Projection. This power is a spell-like ability with verbal and somatic components. Requires Elemental Explosion.

Perfect Style: The monk can maintain up to five styles active at the same time, and he can enter all five as a free action, or spend 1 ki point to do so as an immediate action. Requires Incredible Style.Ki Whirlwind: As a full-round action, the monk can perform one full-attack action against all targets in melee range if unarmed or using a monk weapon. He is allowed one 5ft step between these attacks. This ki power costs 10 points. Requires Ki Tempest.Centering Meditation: As a full-round action the monk can meditate as if performing a Calm Meditation, but restore his full ki pool. This ability can only be used once per day, but does not count against the monk's Calm Meditation uses. Requires Calm Meditation.Ultimate Sacrifice: The monk's Ki Sacrifice ability can be used to replicate the effects of true resurrection. His ki pool must be completely full in order to do so, and this power drains it completely. Additionally, the monk can use Greater Sacrifice as a standard action. Requires Greater Sacrifice.

Ex-Monks: A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk, but retains all monk abilities. Monks that take a level in any other class or prestige class retain all their monk abilities, and are welcome to continue their monk studies afterwards.

Favored Class Bonuses:
In addition to gaining 1 HP or 1 skill point each level, a monk of a particular race can instead choose the following boon on level up. Dwarf: Add +1/4 to the dodge bonus a monk gains with Ki Defense.Elf: Add +1/4 to the attack bonus of every attack that costs at least 1 ki point.Gnome: Add +1/4 to the save bonus a monk gains with Ki Savel.Half-elf: Add +1/2 on all Acrobatics checks.Half-orc: Add +1 to the monk's CMB when attempting a grapple.Halfling: Add +1 to the monk's CMD against grapple and trip attempts.Human: Add +1/2 to the monk's ki pool.

Well, that's about it. The monk is fixed, I think. Would you agree? Do you have any comments or critique? I want to get a discussion going.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0

*reserved for FAQs, musings and updates*

Now, let me try and explain my logic behind some of the changes.

d8 hit die: I firmly believe that the d8 hit die and the fact that the monk does not wear armor are somewhat defining characteristics of the monk. Yes, I am aware that Pathfinder linked BAB and HD in a consistent manner, but there are no rules that depend on that pairing.

Knowledge (planes) (Int) as class skill: I added this class skill because it fits with the monk. He becomes an outsider at level 20, uses supernatural ki powers that are as much from within as from the entire universe, and he spends time in various temples.

Full BAB: A must, I think. For starters, the monk basically already HAD full BAB, but lost it when charging or performing certain attacks. He already had level instead of BAB to CMB and flurry of blows. I think this move significantly simplifies things, brings up his damage potential with additional attacks (especially with the new FOB/A/T), and all at the cost of breaking the HD-BAB link. Worth it, I think.

Flurry of Blows: Simplified and somewhat buffed. Whenever the monk makes any type of non-bonus attack, he gains a bonus flurry of blows attack. This means that maneuver attempts, even those that don't normally do damage, trigger additional simple attacks. However, feats like Rapid Shot, the additional attack ki power, attacks of opportunity and similar actions do NOT generate additional flurry attacks.

Ki pool: One of the biggest changes I made is the incorporation of a ki pool as the monk's core feature available from the start. Most of his abilities now function with his ki pool instead of a daily use system, which makes the monk MUCH more flexible. I think I solved the "going nova" problem with the Wismod max ki/round use rule rather nicely.
The abilities themselves are mostly copied verbatim except for the most significant here; the ki step ability. Monks are supposed to be insanely mobile, and an early ability to keep in melee contact with his targets is a very useful addition. It costs ki, so it isn't infinitely useable as a Step Up, but the cost is quite low.

Focused Fist: This ability replaces both Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm, and numerous other abilities are folded into it when gained. Now fueled by ki instead of uses per day, and also buffed with the ability to use a flurry of blows after a standard action attack such as this one, I think it is far more useful than before.

Ki Assault - This and the Improved feat are the monk's most basic means of getting around the "I don't get to use enchanged weapons" thing.

Purity of Body: Immunity to simple, alchemical poisons is a significant buff, but does not break anything crucial. Not with the excellent saves and Stillness and the ki save feature.

Ki Strike: Added the axiomatic property as a capstone. It fits thematically, and isn't a gamebreaker. The "counts as larget" thing was added in order to make the monk a more unique combat maneuver character; instead of giving him numerical bonuses, he gets to try and engage more targets in his maneuvers.

Tongue of the Bla: Specified that it is now a verbal communication ability early on, and later only requires sentience.

Everlasting Body: This is a minor thing as far as a player is concerned, but a major thing as far as a character is concerned. Casters and certain races gain effective immortality much earlier, so this can serve as a motivator for study.

Perfect Body: A built-in anti-MADness tool. It may come very late, but it is free, and none too shabby.

Erudition Feats: My personal preference with a class is customizability. Full casters gain this through their spells, and some classes such as the rogue, barbarian and ranger make a step in the right direction, but none exhibit the level of customization that I gave the monk here. I eliminated most of his stronger automatically gained abilities but nearly doubled the number of bonus feats he gets to compensate, and turned several monk archetypes that I found most interesting into simple feat abilities which I then added to this list.

Scorpion/Gorgon/Medusa/Cockatrice Attack: Changed the abilities to function like ki powers now. Gorgon's strike was buffed in the process because a 1 round stagger could not compare to the Focused Fist 1 round stun effect.Elemental Fist: This ability is in tight competition with the basic ki power of 1 additional attack. It can be used with standard attacks instead of full-attacks only, and it helps against monsters with physical damage reduction, but is still a feat. It gets progressively better with futher feat allocation, and it helps the monk's ability to "go nova" against a powerful enemy by using a combination of abilities in a single round (such as charge>pounce>elemental fist>additional strike).Guided Hand/Zen Archery/Bloody Finesse/GuidedPain: Reduces the MADness of the monk in certain builds. While not key class features, they are essential options in some cases.Maneuver Training: Changed the ability because it used to be a "monk gets full bab to CMB".Strong Fist: I do not want to make the strength monk obsolete; quite the opposite.Improved Ki Defense/Ki Save: Helps the monk function as a party tank, but only if he builds for it.Slow Freefall: Very fluffy supernatural ability.Extra Ki: Significantly buffed because the new monk has MUCH more ways to burn ki points.Focused Weapon: Zen Archer controller feat.Ki Weapon: Weapon monks use weapons primarily for the special abilities or range. This helps their damage output with certain weapons.Elemental Weapon: Zen Archer damage feat.Pain Points: A very fluffy abilits that fits with the controller monk builds. Ki Thief/Life Thief/Essence Thief: Hungry Ghost monk archetype.Calm Meditation/Perfect Chain: Ki management.Ki Tempest: This ability is not useful in most circumstances, but shines against lots of weaker creatures, functioning somewhat like Cleave in that regard. Elemental Ki: Significant damage buff to Elemental Fist which helps it keep pace with the extra attack ki power.Ki Pounce: Monks have mobility. Now they have pounce. Pounce is good. More classes should have some form of pounce available as an option to them.Wholeness of Body: Now an optional feat because several archetypes that were turned into optional feat lines replace this ability.Shadow Body/Glass Body/Spectral Body: Invisibility/greater invisibility/ethereal jaunt, but as an optional feat line. Some monks want just a short-term invisibility, some want to teleport around. This lets them choose exactly what they want and not be forced to "pay" for what they don't need.Wholeness and Swiftness/Healing Hand/Restoring the Body/Improved Wholeness/Sacrifice: The monk can now be a functional heal/support character.Mental/Physical Perfection: Anti-MADness measure that comes early enough, but is optional.Patient Fist: The trigger any time ability of quivering palm is now an optional ability that can be used with ANY focused fist effect. Incredibly useful for several monk builds, especially battlefield controllers.Sure Fist: Makes several builds much more reliable.Elemental Explosion: This feat makes elemental fist finally outright better than the extra attack ki power, but only in some circumstances.Abundant Leap/Step/Leaf on the Wind: Jump really high/far! Teleport! NOW EVEN FLY! Have a cookie if you like Firefly and/or Serenity.Ki Penetration: The monk can now opt to sunder magical defences. This is always a good option.Diamond Soul/Resistant Ki/Reforming Diamond: Not everyone likes spell resistance. Classes that can benefit a lot from magical enchantments should NOT have spell resistance forced upon them.Protective Meditation: Fluffy ability that somewhat replicates mettle/slippery mind and similar abilities.Young Body: A minor stat buff in certain cases. Fits the monk's physical perfection theme.Foresight: A high-level bone for all the support monks and generalists out there.Spell Mirror: Turns the monk into a mage hunter.Quicksilver Body: Any earlier or cheaper, and this ability would be broken, but this late? Not overpowered.Elemental Projection: KAAAAAAMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....Perfect Style/Ki Whirlwind/Centering Meditation/Ultimate Sacrifice: Capstone powers are supposed to be powerful. The outsider/axiomatic/damage reduction things, while nice, are not the be-all end-all of monk hood. THESE abilities ARE.

Dwarf: Dwarves are naturally hardy. A dwarf tank monk? Yeah, I can see that happening.Elf: Replaced the mostly useless speed ability with something that makes the elf a much more reliable controller.Gnome: Defiant little things.Half-elf: Natural sense of balance helps a naturally mobile class.Half-orc: Big, strong.Halfling: Small. Agile.Human: Doubled the effectiveness due to faster ki point spending potential.

April 14th, 2013 - Removed several abilities from the automatically granted list, added them to the bonus feats list instead. This increases the variation between possible monk builds while bringing down the power level somewhat.

April 17th, 2013 - Clarified which bonus feats are explicitly abilities reserved for the monk and which are available as normal feats.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0

I don't think that's something set in stone, not really. Let's say the Monk is yet another exception; where the Barbarian gets more HP for his BAB, the Monk gets more BAB for his HP. I don't think 1d10 would fit the monk, either by flavor, fluff or gameplay.
EDIT: Homebrew? Quite possibly. I completely forgot about that.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

i think giving this thing a full BAB is completely outrageous. it has an immense power level (9000+) when its basically a physical caster. as presented here, all those abilities make this beyond the power of the other base classes by a degree. id suggest lowering BAB back down with the HD size to d8.

your approach was to bring the outsider to the monk far quicker than is advisable

how about when the outsider template is gained, add the function that the monk class' HD increases from d8 to d10? add 40 hit points to the total, as if the monk had rolled +2 higher on each hit dice roll.

maybe then have BAB treated as being = to HD, only once it becomes an outsider. dont get me wrong, i love the approach but I think its too much at once without need. Remember, pathfinder was the brainchild of years of playing all the classes, noticing the quirks and strengths of classes, bringing in druid and clerics into tow as the supreme classes. It helped balance the playableity of each class. while i like all the abilities, i think having such high hp and bab on top of typically having it for the FOB ability anyways.

how about this:

Insightful Observer: monks often are trained to be aware of others in combat, studying the movements and defenses of an opponent. they can study a foe for any opening in their guard, as a standard action.

The monk becomes aware of the studied foe's AC and CMD at its current state. if the monk does this for three rounds or longer, the monk gains the ability to block and deny one attack per round from the target. The Monk spends a standard action watching the target, when the target attacks the monk, the monk makes a Sense Motive check against the attack roll of the foe's attack.

Improved Insightful Observer: If an attack is successfully blocked by the monk, the monk can make a CMB check to reposition or grapple the attacker as an immediate action.

i mean all martial artists do it. lets utilize sense motive checks and allow monks to perform the evasive repositions that many great martial artists are famous for, on slight scale.

I imagine Jackie Chan's style is all high AC, watching the opponent, and countering with blocks and repositions.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Full BAB is, I think, a must. Hell, the Monk already effectively has it (treat monk level instead of BAB as BAB for flurry of blows and CMB), he just doesn't get the attacks associated with it. Since he doesn't get to use enchanted weapons to increase his hit chance (in vanilla PF, kind of rectified here with Ki Assault, Perfect Strike, Weapon Focus etc.), gets a -2 flurry attack penalty, and is quite MAD, his attacks easily turn into just a bunch of misses, that's why I opted for the full BAB. He is a visible melee glass cannon with no sneak attack.

Outsider too early? How? He still gets it at level 20... Are you talking about Spectral Body?

I like that thing about the Observer. Maybe I could put IO as a bonus feat at level ~4 or so, with IIO at ~8? What would the Sense Motive DC be in that case? 10 + 1/2 enemy level + enemy ... Bluff? Strength? Wisdom?

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Um... it's much simpler to say 1d10/1d12 BAB than say that the barbarian is an exception.

Originally Posted by The Boz

I don't think that's something set in stone, not really.

YES, it is.

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

i think giving this thing a full BAB is completely outrageous. it has an immense power level (9000+) when its basically a physical caster. as presented here, all those abilities make this beyond the power of the other base classes by a degree. id suggest lowering BAB back down with the HD size to d8.

...What the hell? This isn't a caster! It's a warrior with some of its abilities labeled as Supernatural!

your approach was to bring the outsider to the monk far quicker than is advisable

how about when the outsider template is gained, add the function that the monk class' HD increases from d8 to d10? add 40 hit points to the total, as if the monk had rolled +2 higher on each hit dice roll.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by The Boz

I like that thing about the Observer. Maybe I could put IO as a bonus feat at level ~4 or so, with IIO at ~8? What would the Sense Motive DC be in that case? 10 + 1/2 enemy level + enemy ... Bluff? Strength? Wisdom?

id do it like this: Sense Motive versus the enemy's attack roll. rather like active AC (you're are not taking ten on AC checks, like the rolling for AC variant)

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

No, that is granted by taking that standard action by watching them.

When a foe attacks, once per round, you roll a sense motive, as if it was a provoked AoO. Sensing the motive to attack, the monk is aware of how its coming (viewing the shoulders, the weight shift and change in balance as the attacker moves in). This allows him to evade or block the attack, by whatever means necessary if he notices it.

later, instead of evading or blocking, the monk uses the AoO to reposition foes.

a more defensive style of fighting, i guess.

(out of character, this concept came from my ability to vastly speed up my turns when i know AC and CMD quickly. it frees up the DM's time when i can simply say something like this when my turn comes:

"I move in five feet and await my foe. The minotaur catches my eye, so i throw an intimidate at him. Hey! You with the horns... Come closer, I need a new set of drinking horns! then begin watching his movements."

when he charges me on his turn, i know his AC is 14/t9/ff14 and his CMD is 21, I then can roll a sense motive check as I watch it move to charge and say:

"23"

The DM informs me his attack was 21

"I wait for his charge, then evade it as it comes, barely missing a gore."

the DM then goes on to next player.

I almost wanted to have the Improved version to allow grapples as well as reposition, as the monk must grab on to the foe to reposition them.

so then I might have even said:

"I grab the minotaur by the horns, stopping his charge, then twisting his horns sideways, moving him into the square next to me" or even: "I maintain the grapple, holding his horns to keep them from injuring me"

This is assuming I can roll against his CMD (which i know for quicker dice rolls and less wait)

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

It seems like your monk is pretty standard, just with most of his core abilities bumped up a notch, so they are more likely to be useful.

What I really like are some of the feats, particularly the group mimicng Resurection but using ki energy, and the really original ones like Spell mirror. I made my own monk fix, decided it wasn't good enough, and started over. I may steal a few of your new feats to use, except as special monk-only abilities.

I'm a little confused about what exactly the "style feats" are, though. I'm sure I've just missed something, but what exactly do they let you use?

The only other thing is I wonder if his ki pool is large enough. You let it be used for a lot more abilities (which is a good thing, I'm planning on doing the same) but even stacking wisdom, a high level monk will probably only have 15-20 ki points for the day, and several abilities use more than 1 ki point. I haven't really decided what might be a good number instead; playtesting would probably help nail it down. But you don't want to give the monk all these neat toys and then tell him he can't play with them.

Originally Posted by Rater202

It's not called common because the sense is common, it's called common because it's about common things.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

I'm a little confused about what exactly the "style feats" are, though. I'm sure I've just missed something, but what exactly do they let you use?

Spoiler

Show

Style Feats
For centuries, great warriors have looked to nature and the multiverse to find inspiration in battle. Countless monastic and contemplative orders have crafted intricate unarmed fighting styles based on the deadliness and grace of natural and supernatural creatures. Although many such fighting techniques were created by secretive orders, they have since spread to practitioners the world over.

As a swift action, you can enter the stance employed by the fighting style a style feat embodies. Although you cannot use a style feat before combat begins, the style you are in persists until you spend a swift action to switch to a different combat style. You can use a feat that has a style feat as a prerequisite only while in the stance of the associated style. For example, if you have feats associated with Mantis Style and Tiger Style, you can use a swift action to adopt Tiger Style at the start of one turn, and then can use other feats that have Tiger Style as a prerequisite. By using another swift action at the start of your next turn, you could adopt Mantis Style and use other feats that have Mantis Style as a prerequisite.

The styles presented follow, along with specific feat paths—feats that complement each style.

Boar Style: A tribe of orcs who disdained the use of weapons originally developed this savage unarmed fighting style. They preferred to slaughter their enemies with their bare hands and teeth. Over the centuries, a variety of races have adopted the Boar Style, most notably goblinoids, ogres, and trolls. The objective of the Boar Style is to attack with as much viciousness and cruelty as possible in order to break enemy morale. Fanatical followers of the style use herbal and alchemical reagents to harden their nails and teeth, sometimes performing self-mutilating procedures that result in clawlike nails and sharpened teeth.
Feat Path: Boar Style, Boar Ferocity, Boar Shred.

Djinni Style: Adherents to this style call on the spirits of storms to outmaneuver and outwit their opponents. Masters of the style can absorb and deflect electrical attacks while summoning peals of thunder to pummel their enemies.
Feat Path: Djinni Style, Djinni Spirit, Djinni Spin.

Earth Child Style: A warrior cadre of dwarves and gnomes dedicated to fighting and slaying giants developed this style. Students of the style learn how to enhance their defensive training to become even more elusive when facing giants. They also spend long hours studying the anatomy of the various giant races to increase the effectiveness of their unarmed strikes. Eventually, masters of this fighting style learn how to bring down even the mightiest creatures by targeting feet, ankles, and knees.
Feat Path: Earth Child Style, Earth Child Topple, Earth Child Binder.

Efreeti Style: The efreeti style focuses on aggression and speed, taking inspiration from beings of living fire. Masters of the style can deflect and control fire, immolate their enemies, and summon forth gouts of elemental flame.
Feats Path: Efreeti Style, Efreeti Stance, Efreeti Touch.

Janni Style: This style, originating humbly from the folk traditions of disparate peoples, represents several similar unarmed fighting arts practiced around the world. Regardless of variations in technique, all practitioners have a fluid fighting stance that emphasizes rapid, powerful kicks. The style's constant motion and graceful footwork lead many to mistakenly view practitioners as highly skilled dancers, a misconception that has allowed the technique to be taught in secret, the hidden weapon of the downtrodden and the oppressed. Openly martial versions of this style lose some of the dancelike qualities but retain the style's extraordinary kicking techniques and agility.
Feat Path: Janni Style, Janni Tempest, Janni Rush.

Kirin Style: The school of the kirin employs critical observations as weapons against opponents. Practitioners catalogue a foe's weaknesses and seek the perfect moment to strike, ensuring that no movement or effort is ever wasted. Popular among those rare orders that blend monastic training with arcane study, kirin style is sometimes practiced by wizards who seek to hone their bodies along with their minds.
Feat Path: Kirin Style, Kirin Strike, Kirin Path.

Mantis Style: Based on the hunting techniques of the praying mantis, practitioners of this style fight with their hands turned down to emulate the insect's sharp grasping forelimbs. Mantis style uses precise, accurate strikes to pinpoint an opponent's vital areas, such as eyes, throat, and pressure points.
Feat Path: Mantis Style, Mantis Wisdom, Mantis Torment.

Marid Style: Marid style emulates the fluid strength of flowing rivers and the cold of the ocean depths. Masters of the style can withstand severe cold, manipulate water to lash at enemies from afar, and freeze their foes in place.
Feat Path: Marid Style, Marid Spirit, Marid Coldsnap.

Panther Style: Students of the panther throw caution to the wind as they weave recklessly among their foes. Those who master the style turn their unrivaled mobility into a weapon, striking their enemies with a series of swift retaliatory strikes.
Feat Path: Panther Style, Panther Claws, Panther Parry.

Snake Style: Snake style emphasizes quick, shifting movements. Its practitioners normally hold their hands flat with the fingers together to mimic the head of a snake. Able to strike when least expected, snake stylists are known for opportunism and blinding speed.
Feat Path: Snake Style, Snake Sidewinder, Snake Fang.

Tiger Style: This style seeks to emulate the power and fury of the great tiger. Practitioners use their hands like claws, perfecting overpowering double hand strikes and driving attack chains.
Feat Path: Tiger Style, Tiger Claws, Tiger Pounce.

The only other thing is I wonder if his ki pool is large enough. You let it be used for a lot more abilities (which is a good thing, I'm planning on doing the same) but even stacking wisdom, a high level monk will probably only have 15-20 ki points for the day, and several abilities use more than 1 ki point. I haven't really decided what might be a good number instead; playtesting would probably help nail it down. But you don't want to give the monk all these neat toys and then tell him he can't play with them.

The problem with changing the Ki pool is it no longer is balanced with other like abilities from other classes. changing would make this class overpowered in relation to standard PF classes.

Balance is always the key, Ive made two characters using the rules that the OP has outlined. The class is a bit stronger than a equal level Fighter in most ways, but lacks the overall feat mongering that the Fighter enjoys.

I would say further increasing would be stupid, just more refinement on how the abilities work together and perhaps a little shuffling of abilities to make it more unique.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

It seems like your monk is pretty standard, just with most of his core abilities bumped up a notch, so they are more likely to be useful.

My core idea was to make the monk more customizable, so I removed a lot of his abilities such as Abundant Step, Empty Body etc, and reintroduced them through bonus feats, which he now gets a lot of. Then I made the abilities useful and symbiotic; what bothered me most about the monk was that none of his abilities worked well with his other abilities.
Yes, he is more powerful. Yes, his abilities are bumped up a notch. He wouldn't be a new, viable monk otherwise.

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

What I really like are some of the feats, particularly the group mimicng Resurection but using ki energy, and the really original ones like Spell mirror. I made my own monk fix, decided it wasn't good enough, and started over. I may steal a few of your new feats to use, except as special monk-only abilities.

Feel free to steal whatever you like; I know I stole a lot of stuff from various sources in order to make this version of the monk.

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

I'm a little confused about what exactly the "style feats" are, though. I'm sure I've just missed something, but what exactly do they let you use?

Style feats are feats found on this list. Note that each style is a set of 3 feats, and all 3 feats are used when the style is used. I considered the Master of Many Styles a nicely fluffed and interesting monk variant, but with one glaring problem: he only ever gets so many feats, and his thing is using several styles at the same time, up to 5. Basically, you'd have to spend ALL your feats on styles in order to make the capstone ability (use 5 styles at the same time) useful.

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

The only other thing is I wonder if his ki pool is large enough. You let it be used for a lot more abilities (which is a good thing, I'm planning on doing the same) but even stacking wisdom, a high level monk will probably only have 15-20 ki points for the day, and several abilities use more than 1 ki point. I haven't really decided what might be a good number instead; playtesting would probably help nail it down. But you don't want to give the monk all these neat toys and then tell him he can't play with them.

Yes, the ki pool is not expanded by default, doing so would bring the monk dangerously close to the wizard playstyle: burn through all your spells, then sit and wave your arms around helplessly. You are free to design a ki pool-dependant monk build, I even added a few feats to make that an attractive option, but out of the box, I don't think he should be burning through it all that much. The ki pool is comparable to the barbarian's rage in that regard: there are barbarians that rage at the slightest provocations, and then there are those that conserve their rage for when they would REALLY need it.
Also, note how the monk isn't GIVEN neat toys, he is given a choice of neat toys to play with sparingly.

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

Balance is always the key, Ive made two characters using the rules that the OP has outlined. The class is a bit stronger than a equal level Fighter in most ways, but lacks the overall feat mongering that the Fighter enjoys.

At first I was afraid that I would overdo it and make the monk just flat out better than the fighter, but I realized that even if that were possible, it wouldn't be a problem of this monk being OP, but fighter being UP.

Originally Posted by LordErebus12

I would say further increasing would be stupid, just more refinement on how the abilities work together and perhaps a little shuffling of abilities to make it more unique.

And that is exactly why I need new ideas, criticisms and pointers.

Now, as for that Insightful feat line thingy, that to me sounds like a three feat style line. Something along the lines of...

Insightful Style: You can make a Sense Motive check as a standard action against a visible foe within 30 feet. If successful, you gain +1 attack and dodge bonus against that foe for as long as he remains in range and sight. If a studied foe misses you in melee range, he provokes an attack of opportunity from you. You can only study one foe at a time. The DC for the Sense Motive check is equal to 10 + the target's HD + his Wisdom modifier. Requires monk 2 and Sense Motive 2.Deep Insight: In addition to the normal benefits, the user of Insightful Style gains knowledge of the target's total, touch and flat-footed AC, CMD and any DR that can affect the user's attacks. Requires Insightful Style, monk 6 and Sense Motive 6.Insightful Positioning: When the studied foe misses you in melee, you can either move him or yourself five feet in any direction, or initiate a grapple attempt. This is an immediate action. Requires Insightful Style, Deep Insight, monk 10 and Sense Motive 10.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by The Boz

Something along the lines of...

Spoiler

Show

Insightful Style: You can make a Sense Motive check as a standard action against a visible foe within 30 feet. If successful, you gain +1 attack and dodge bonus against that foe for as long as he remains in range and sight. If a studied foe misses you in melee range, he provokes an attack of opportunity from you. You can only study one foe at a time. The DC for the Sense Motive check is equal to 10 + the target's HD + his Wisdom modifier. Requires monk 2 and Sense Motive 2.

Deep Insight: In addition to the normal benefits, the user of Insightful Style gains knowledge of the target's total, touch and flat-footed AC, CMD and any DR that can affect the user's attacks. Requires Insightful Style, monk 6 and Sense Motive 6.

Insightful Positioning: When the studied foe misses you in melee, you can either move him or yourself five feet in any direction, or initiate a grapple attempt. This is an immediate action. Requires Insightful Style, Deep Insight, monk 10 and Sense Motive 10.

Would that work?

Insightful Defense StyleThis style focuses on quiet observation and defensive fighting. The monk watches a target carefully, preparing for any incoming attacks and using evasive techniques to avoid the foe, as well as to spot weaknesses in the foe's defense.

Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Sense Motive 2 ranks, Monk 2nd level.Benefits: As a standard action, the monk can make a Sense Motive check against one visible foe within 30 feet. If successful, the monk gains a +1 attack and dodge bonus against that foe for as long as he remains in range and line of sight. If a studied foe misses the monk in melee, the foe provokes an attack of opportunity. The monk can only study one foe at a time. The DC for the Sense Motive check is equal to 10 + the target's HD + his Wisdom modifier.

Deep InsightFrom watching the foe's stance and guard, the monk can gauge the defensive capabilities of a foe. This allows the monk to gain insight into the foe's overall defenses.

Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Insightful Defense Style, Sense Motive 6 ranks.Benefits: In addition to the normal benefits, the monk using the Insightful Defense Style gains knowledge of the target's total, touch and flat-footed AC as well as CMD and any DR that can affect the monk's attacks.

Insightful PositioningThe monk's ability to predict the foe's movements by observation allows the monk to react to attacks with lightning speed, using the foe's own failed momentum against him. This allows him to reposition the foe or himself as well as to slip past the foe's guard and attempt a grapple when the foe's attack misses the monk.

Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Insightful Defense Style, Deep Insight, Sense Motive 10 ranks.Benefits: When a studied foe misses the monk in melee, the monk can attempt either to reposition the foe or himself one square (must remain adjacent) or even initiate a grapple attempt. This is an immediate action. This ability can be used a number of times per round, assuming the monk has a high enough Dexterity modifier to grant multiple Attacks of Opportunity.

Figured that after the Insightful defense style, levels in monk are not required past second level, allowing this combat style to be more useful for cross class characters. They still require you to be a certain level (because of the ranks) but dont require all of them being monk levels.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Sorry I haven't updated this yet, but rest assured, I have been bouncing some ideas for it around my skull. Will post the stuff tomorrow.
In the meantime, what does the community think about a high-level (15+) bonus feat for the monk that maximizes all his hit points, both retroactively and persistently? I know not everyone plays with max or reroll houserules, and something like Perfect Health could theoretically work with a slightly MAD class such as this one. Too much? A mechanic that shouldn't be touched? Great? I want to know what you think.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

ive always used maximum for every creature, both PC and NPC. doesnt really effect my use of this class, i think its excessive to add it anyways. remember, you dont need the class to have every advantage.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Well, it's not "giving" it every advantage, it's giving it the option to have some advantages out of a pool of many advantages. If Perfect Health was a level 18 monk bonus feat, how many people would take it knowing they would have to do so in place of things such as Elemental Projection, Ki Whirlwind, Quicksilver Body etc.?

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

I have slightly updated some of the descriptions to make them more clear, and added two new bonus feats. One is called Perfect Chain and is here just for some of the monks out there who like to really burn through their ki points a lot. The other, Ki Defense, allows tanky monks to be more tanky more often.
Later, when I find the time, I will add a section for styles in which I will add a few, including the on mentioned above, and rewrite the old styles so that they fit with the Monk 2.0's abilities better.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Further edit: clarified some texts, added the Medusa/Cockatrice attacks and Leaf on the Wind.

I wish to incorporate somehow the Hungry Ghost monk with a chain of three or four bonus feats.
The single ki point restore feat at level 4 or 6 would be similar to the Steal Ki ability, but I dislike the crit requirement. Kill sentient living creature = gain 1 ki point? Requirement: non-good alignment?
Four levels after that, he gains the optional feat to count ANY sentient creature for this.
Two levels after that a feat that allows the monk to heal 1HP for every successful attack against a sentient creature. When at full HP, he gains temporary hit points that last for ~minute or so. Wisdom modifier minutes maybe?

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by The Boz

Also, why is it that people want a d10 HD monk? Surely it can't just be the BAB thing.

It is, actually. In 3.5, HD and BAB were independent of each other. In PF, however, they're effectively tied to each other, except in iconic cases like Undead, Dragons, and Barbarians getting d12s. It's why Wizards and Sorcerers got bumped up to d6s.

Avatar by Venetian Mask. It's of an NPC from a campaign I may yet run (possibly in PbP) who became a favorite of mine while planning.

Originally Posted by Razanir

Everyone knows frying pans are actually weapons that people repurpose for cooking

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

I went and checked, it is actually something consistent with Paizo, butnotwith otherpublishers. And in this case, althought I can definitely see your point, I feel like a d10 HP die just doesn't belong with the monk. And a 3/4 BAB definitely does not belong on a melee non-spellcaster. As a full BAB d10 melee class, he would definitely start to encroach on other classes territory, it might even have an identity crysis, especially in some builds.
This is a fix, and fixes are, ultimately, "third party". So while it is true that the d8 full bab is a deviation from the norm, I can't think of any rules or mechanics that depend on or enforce this norm.

EDIT: I have significantly nerfed the class by removing several abilities (Wholeness of Body, Ki Pounce, Diamond Soul, to name a few) from the automatically attained list, and added them to the bonus feats list at their appropriate levels. Also added alternate race favored class features for all core races.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by The Boz

And in this case, although I can definitely see your point, I feel like a d10 HP die just doesn't belong with the monk. And a 3/4 BAB definitely does not belong on a melee non-spellcaster. As a full BAB d10 melee class, he would definitely start to encroach on other classes territory, it might even have an identity crisis, especially in some builds.
This is a fix, and fixes are, ultimately, "third party". So while it is true that the d8 full bab is a deviation from the norm, I can't think of any rules or mechanics that depend on or enforce this norm.

While I agree that the monk feels like a d8 class, I could make some of the same arguments about the BAB that you did about the HD. Some of the spell-like abilities probably just look a little weird when attached to a warrior-analogue. But still, I think that having the freedom to mix things up without bolting a specific HP level and BAB together is a valuable tool for designers.

Personally, I think that more still needs to be done to boost the value of BAB overall so that players really need to think about if it's worth trading off against some of the other special features that non-full BAB class get, rather than just handing out full BAB to anyone who isn't a caster.

I said a while back that I was going to steal some of your ideas for my own monk fix, but by the time I got around to writing it all up and posting, this thread had been dormant for a while.

Now that you seem to be active again, if you are curious what direction I went in, feel free to take a look: The Monk (DBD style)

Last edited by Deepbluediver; 2013-04-13 at 08:06 PM.

Originally Posted by Rater202

It's not called common because the sense is common, it's called common because it's about common things.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

While I agree that the monk feels like a d8 class, I could make some of the same arguments about the BAB that you did about the HD. Some of the spell-like abilities probably just look a little weird when attached to a warrior-analogue. But still, I think that having the freedom to mix things up without bolting a specific HP level and BAB together is a valuable tool for designers.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

Personally, I think that more still needs to be done to boost the value of BAB overall so that players really need to think about if it's worth trading off against some of the other special features that non-full BAB class get, rather than just handing out full BAB to anyone who isn't a caster.

Thanks to flurry of blows/arrows/throws, the monk really maxes out on the value of a full BAB. I really wouldn't emphasize it more than that, most classes have some kind of BAB-appreciation built in, or don't use it at all.

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

I said a while back that I was going to steal some of your ideas for my own monk fix, but by the time I got around to writing it all up and posting, this thread had been dormant for a while.

Sure, thanks for actually mentioning me in that thread. Most people wouldn't bother.

Originally Posted by Deepbluediver

Now that you seem to be active again, if you are curious what direction I went in, feel free to take a look: The Monk (DBD style)

I'll comment on that soon.

Expanded the second post, detailing the reasoning behind most of the changes.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

"Additionally, as long as the monk has at least 1 ki point available, he can count himself as larger than he actually is for the purposes of checking if he can perform a combat maneuver on a given target, but not if a combat maneuver can be performed on him as well. This does not grant the monk a size modifier, and opponents that are larger still regain their full size modifier bonus. At level 5, a medium monk can count as large. At level 10, he can instead count as huge. At level 15, he can count as gargantuan. At level 20, the monk can count himself as colossal whenever he is checking if a particular combat maneuver is valid against a specific target."

I added this to the Ki Strike entry. I wanted to make the monk not flat out better at maneuvers by giving him loads of flat numerical bonuses, but by making him unique in some aspect.
The monk can now trip a dragon.
I like that. I think it fits.
But I think that my personal liking of this ability doesn't automatically make it balanced. What do you guys say?

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Just did a quick check. If the player wanted to replicate the current Pathfinder monk through bonus feat selection as close as possible, he would need to take the following choices for the bonus feats:
{table=head]Level|Feat Selected
1st|Any
2nd|Maneuver Training (clear buff)
4th|Any
6th|Wholeness of Body (earlier, buffed)
8th|Shadow Body (new ability, prerequisite)
10th|Patient Fist (considerably earlier, buffed)
12th|Abundant Step
14th|Diamond Soul (later)
16th|Any
18th|Spectral Body (earlier)
20th|Any
[/table]

So, a total bonus of four or five (depends on how you count maneuver training) free feats, compared to the base number of six free feats. Not bad, considering that he got full BAB, immortality, ability score buff, an actual capstone, and some versatility in exchange. Note how he can gain most of his goodies a level or more earlier than before.

Re: [PF] The Monk 2.0 PEACH

Updated the class in a pretty significant way. Many small changes, but the crux of it is:
Named the bonus feats Erudition feats. I think it is fitting, since the monk uses more brain than brawn.
Fixed the wording for prerequisite waiver on combat feats.
Nerfed Perfect Attack to be erudition-only, limited the choice of weapons.
Removed the no-5ft-step clause from Scorpion Style.
Spread out the automatically gained ki powers to levels 1, 3, 4 and 5.
Significantly increased the ki pool capacity.
Buffed the Half-elf's alternate favored class bonus.
Changed/added Improved Ki "Power" feats, they are now consistent.

Please, even if you have already, read and comment about this monk, because I'm really interested in feedback.